It’s a sad fact of nature in the urban jungle that many squirrels are killed by vehicles while trying to cross the road. But here at EatASquirrel.com, you might be wondering if you can have it for dinner. The short answer is, probably not.

Squirrel, like any other meat, will go bad if not refrigerated properly. When a squirrel or any animal is roadkilled, bacteria within the animal quickly start multiplying. These bacteria produce toxins which are harmful to eat, and cannot be neutralized by cooking under high temperatures.

Additionally, you might not be the first animal to see pavement pizza as a nutritious dinner. Birds, cats, and flies will often show up first on the scene of freshly deceased squirrel. If these animals are carrying diseases, you do not want those diseases passed on to you. Even if there’s not a scavenger in sight, you can’t know if the crows have chewed on its insides or if the flies have taken a piss on the carcass.

So the next time you see a dead squirrel that has been sitting on the side of the road, skip it and let nature take its course. There are much safer ways of getting squirrel to your dinner table straight from your backyard.